Chris Kelly’s goal is to score

Credit: Nancy Lane

STUMBLING START: Coming off his first 20-goal season, Chris Kelly is goalless in this year’s first 11 games.

WILMINGTON — Goalscoring is not what defines Chris Kelly. The Bruins third line center is an astute two-way player who has a big hand in the B’s top-ranked penalty killing.

But just the same, he wouldn’t mind getting goal sometime soon.

Kelly, who notched his first 20-goal season last year that helped him secure a four-year, $12 million contract, is the lone, regular Bruins forward who has not scored this season. And he wouldn’t mind getting rid of that distinction soon.

“Of course I want to score. I’d be lying if I said ‘Oh, I don’t want to score.’ Everybody wants to score,” said Kelly yesterday as the team prepared to take off for tonight’s game in Buffalo. “But it makes things easier when the team is doing well, so if the team continues to do well and I don’t score, it is what it is. I’d like to help out.”

Some players may let one deficiency drag down the rest of their game, but, with the exception of a bad giveaway in Carolina early in the season, Kelly remained a solid defensive player.

“As you get older, you realize that if one part of your game isn’t where you want it to be or where it needs to be, other parts of your game needs to be better,” said Kelly. “I hope that since I haven’t been producing like I hoped, and probably the team’s hoped and everyone has hoped, that other parts of my game have improved.”

And despite the 20-goal season last year, Kelly is comfortable with his true identity as a player.

“I don’t want to cheat on my defensive part of the game in order to get those offensive chances because that’s not going to help me or the team or anyone,” he said. “At the end of the day, for me to score a goal is costing the team two goals? That’s not going to happen.”

Coach Claude Julien is not too worried.

“He had a great start last year, scored some goals and had some decent points, and then all of a sudden, the expectations are a little higher,” said Julien. “He’ll be the first one to tell you he’s not at the top of his game yet, but at the same time he’s a veteran and knows what he has to do. He’s part of that penalty-killing unit that’s been outstanding for us. He’s been great on draws for us (59.4 percent), he’s been great killing penalties. He’s been great when asked to play against top lines and, at times, especially after power plays. I throw different wingers with him and he’s handled that extremely well. The only part right now that’s frustrating for him, and what we know can be a little better for him, is the production.”

If you really want to know what’s important to Kelly, just ask him about that turnover in Carolina.

“I know better. Those kind of things personally eat me up,” said Kelly, “because like I said, I know better. You never want to make a mistake, especially one that costs us a goal. You feel like you’re letting 19 other guys down. I was happy we won that game.”

Bruins notes

Jay Pandolfo, who signed a one-year deal on Tuesday, is with the team and felt comfortable with playing if called upon, even without a Providence tune-up. Julien feels the 38-year-old Pandolfo’s healthier than he has been in recent years.

“Absolutely,” said Julien, who coached Pandolfo in New Jersey. “He’s a veteran of many seasons and he’s in great shape. He knows his role and that’s why he’s still around, because he plays his role so well. He could definitely step in there and know exactly what to do. I thought he looked good in that Black and White game. Playing for Providence, he scored a goal and set up another one, but he didn’t lose a step.

“What’s happened with Jay, he had some issues with one of his hips that’s now not an issue, and that’s why I think we’re seeing him skate a lot better. He’s always been a good skater and I think that part of his game is back. I think he can be a better player than we’ve seen in the past few years when he was struggling with that issue.” . . .

The B’s again worked on the power play, with Dennis Seidenberg and Dougie Hamilton alternating on the blue line on one of the units. The Bruins are 28th in the league on the power play (4-for-43, 9.3 percent).